Low-cost Eats Week 2 (Heat Climate)

Welcome to Week 2 of a budget eats meal plan! This week is filled with simple, satisfying meals that maintain your funds in verify with out reducing corners on taste. We’re constructing on the pantry staples you’ve already stocked, so your grocery record focuses totally on recent and perishable elements.

This plan is supposed to work along with your actual life. You don’t need to comply with it in a strict order or make each single recipe. Wish to swap a meal out? Eat leftovers for an evening or two? Completely. Nothing breaks should you don’t follow it completely. You possibly can combine and match as wanted.

We’ve additionally obtained a free customization instrument in beta. You possibly can modify serving sizes, change out recipes, and generate a brand new procuring record based mostly in your adjustments. It’s nonetheless in testing, however it works.

And don’t neglect: each recipe has a video tutorial on our web site to stroll you thru every step. Whether or not you’re new to cooking or simply wish to see what to anticipate, we’ve obtained you lined.

A decorative image showing the menu for week 2 of the Cheap Eats Meal Plan.

Remember to try the total plan information, pantry staples, and menus for the opposite weeks. You possibly can all the time modify the plan to suit your preferences and substitute your favourite recipes.

Fast Tip

Cabbage is considered one of our favourite budget-friendly buys. For us, the fee was $0.96 per pound. Past that, it’s extraordinarily versatile, taking over the flavour of whichever seasonings you select (for our recipe, bacon and brown sugar). It’s additionally tremendous filling and good for you, too!

Grocery Haul

This week’s haul leans closely into recent veggies, protein, and dairy. Since your pantry is already stocked, you received’t be re-buying staples like spices, flour, or oil.

You’ll discover loads of methods to repurpose elements throughout meals—like shredded lettuce and cheese for a number of recipes—to cut back waste and maintain your grocery invoice low.

Obtain the Week 2 Shopping List PDF for a straightforward, grab-and-go model of the record.

Groceries for the second week of the Cheap Eats Meal Plan laid out on a kitchen counter.

Receipt

Complete Spent: $130.25
Complete Servings: 44
Common Value Per Serving: $2.96

This week stays proper on track with reasonably priced, family-friendly dinners. As all the time, costs replicate a typical grocery retailer journey—no sale looking or bulk shopping for required. Your totals could range barely relying in your location, however this could maintain you shut.

Funds Saver

Shopping for in bulk isn’t required, however there are methods to stretch elements to maintain prices down:

If rotisserie chickens are nonetheless on sale, seize one and use the meat for the taco salad or pasta salad to avoid wasting money and time.

In case your retailer sells sausage hyperlinks in bigger packs, freeze the extras for later weeks.

Purchase a block of cheese and shred it your self—it’s typically cheaper and lasts longer.

The Recipes

A photo of Chef Cayt in The Stay At Home Chef Kitchen with the meals from Week 2 of the Cheap Eats Meal plan on display on the kitchen counter.

Proper above, you’ll see a snapshot of all seven dinners with a visible information to serving sizes. We all know it helps to really see what a portion appears like, so we laid all of it out.

There’s additionally a fast video walkthrough that exhibits the completed meals and offers you a greater concept of what to anticipate all through the week.

Now let’s have a look at every dinner:

Monday

We love a one-pot meal! Overlook the jarred pasta sauce, and make this as an alternative. Our selfmade meat sauce combines easy pantry elements, and it’s one of many best dinners you can also make. Serve with a facet of roasted broccoli to maintain issues easy.

One Pot Spaghetti

One-Pot Spaghetti that tastes prefer it simmered all day. Fast, scrumptious, and made with reasonably priced elements to maintain your funds in verify.

Tuesday

A taco salad that’s shiny and recent, and comes collectively in simply half-hour! That is a kind of salads that’s simple to make forward, too. Simply prep the veggies and toss collectively, throw it within the fridge, and cook dinner your rooster earlier than serving.

Chicken Taco Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

We’ve taken a basic taco salad and made a lighter model with a fast and simple cilantro-lime French dressing.

Wednesday

This simple sheet pan meal is an reasonably priced and attractive solution to make a fast meal that isn’t the identical previous rooster dinner. Plus, it’s loaded with scrumptious, roasted veggies. No have to make any sides—this can be a complete meal by itself.

Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies

Our sheet pan sausage and veggie recipe has all of the smoky flavors with a easy seasoning combine and minimal prep for a straightforward one-pan meal.

Thursday

Cabbage is likely one of the most reasonably priced greens you should purchase. When you don’t love cabbage, this recipe will make you a believer! Bacon and brown sugar add taste and caramelization, making it a dish even your children will love. To spherical out your meal, we prefer to serve it over mashed potatoes.

Easy Fried Cabbage

This caramelized fried cabbage is scrumptious and tremendous simple to make with a number of elements. It comes collectively in lower than half-hour!

Friday

These baked nuggets are a better-for-you choice that received’t break the financial institution. Made with actual, white rooster breast meat, a flavorful spice mix, and our secret ingredient: parmesan cheese. We prefer to make it a meal with mac and cheese (beneath) and a facet of frozen veggies or peas.

The Best Baked Chicken Nuggets

These nuggets are made with actual rooster breast meat and baked, so that you don’t get all of that extra oil—they are surely the very best ever!

It solely takes quarter-hour to make this deliciously creamy mac and cheese. This course of is so easy, you received’t wish to return to the boxed stuff.

Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Skip the field and make the good things! This Mac and Cheese is simple to make on the stovetop and it’s prepared in simply quarter-hour.

Saturday

Pasta salads are simply too handy. Throw it collectively, throw it within the fridge, and you’ve got a meal prepared everytime you want it. Simply be certain that to retailer your bacon individually so it doesn’t get soggy.

Cilantro Ranch Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is gentle, flavorful, and completely scrumptious. It’s simple to make forward, and also you’ll need this cilantro ranch on every little thing!

Sunday

Dissipate that floor beef with this simple taco casserole! Floor beef is a good protein that you would be able to gown up along with your favourite spices. We made our personal taco seasoning mix, which is each scrumptious and cost-effective.

Tasty Taco Casserole

Tasty Taco Casseroles take your entire favourite taco flavors and places them into a straightforward to make casserole!

Make It Work for You

Life occurs, and this plan makes room for it. You don’t have to cook dinner seven nights per week. Skip a recipe, stretch leftovers, or repeat a household favourite. It received’t throw something off.

If you wish to tweak issues, our customization tool in beta is right here to assist. It permits you to modify servings, swap recipes, and get an up to date procuring record in only a few clicks. Nonetheless in beta, however prepared to make use of.